A Life on the Road
Joy Wiebe lived and died along the highway. She was an archetype of an American woman: a devoted wife, mother to three children, a lover of dogs, and a committed Christian. Yet, she stood out as one of the most relentless tanker drivers in the country, transporting essential fuel along the perilous ice road to Prudhoe Bay Oil Field, located at Alaska’s northernmost tip beyond the Arctic Circle.
The new book “Mothertrucker” (Little A), authored by writing professor and friend Amy Butcher, reveals her story. The title refers to Wiebe’s Instagram handle, @alaskamothertrucker, where she documented her journeys to over 9,000 followers.
Wiebe, described by Butcher in 2018 as “freshly 50 with the face of Kate McKinnon and a body like an exclamation mark,” maneuvered her 53-foot rig along the James W. Dalton Highway, a road notorious for its dangers. This 414-mile route, starting from Fairbanks, Alaska, faces relentless blizzards, ice storms, massive potholes, and thick fog that can blind drivers.
The highway’s climax is Atigun Pass, a steep and avalanche-prone mountain path deemed the most perilous section of the journey. Butcher writes, “Advancing Atigun Pass means submitting to the most daunting part of the rollercoaster ride,” as the tension builds while driving blind towards the unknown.
Regularly traversing this road alone, Wiebe took precautions with mace, flare guns, a pistol, and plenty of snacks. However, her journey wasn’t always so fearless. Growing up in Camp Verde, Arizona, she dreamt of winter but found herself pregnant and married by 17. After her husband joined the Navy and relocated them to Alaska, their marriage soured due to his infidelity and control. Leaving him meant starting over with her two young sons.
Afterward, Wiebe took a job at a mine as a bulldozer operator, despite conflicting work hours with her Seventh Day Adventist beliefs. She eventually received encouragement from her second husband, Gregory Wiebe, to obtain her commercial driver’s license, allowing her to pursue trucking for its flexibility and higher income. For Joy, the risks of Dalton Highway were outweighed by her spiritual connection to the Arctic backdrop. She poignantly referred to the journey as “healing,” marking it with crosses along the road that memorialized truckers who lost their lives.
Tragically, on August 24, 2018, Wiebe faced the very risks she took pride in navigating. While heading to Prudhoe Bay in dense fog, her tanker lost stability and tipped over, resulting in her instant death at age 50. Her untimely demise sent shockwaves through her community, prompting fellow truckers to organize a respectful convoy in her honor. Participants remarked on the extraordinary turnout of her memorial, with one stating, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this. Lots of parades in my lifetime, but never one this big.”
